Suspect arrested in Dunkin' Donuts robbery

Published: Tuesday, November 20, 2012 at 10:51 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, November 21, 2012 at 2:46 p.m.

DUNNELLON — A man accused of robbing a Dunkin' Donuts store Tuesday night was captured with the help of a Marion County Sheriff's Office K-9.

Zachary Daniel Frye, 24, was charged with armed robbery, resisting an officer without violence and retail petty theft. He remained at the Marion County Jail on Wednesday.

Dunnellon Police Department spokeswoman Darlene Parker said officers received a call about a man entering the Dunkin' Donuts at 11325 N. Williams St. carrying a knife. The man, later identified as Frye, yelled at a clerk and demanded cash from the register. After being given some money, he left the store and sped away on a bicycle.

Meanwhile, after someone had run out of the Dunkin' Donuts yelling that the store had been robbed, some people in the parking lot of the Sonic restaurant nearby began following the suspect, who was peddling away on a bicycle that had been parked by the donut shop.

The witnesses followed the man to the rear of the Dunnellon Plaza at 11223 N. Williams St., where he got off the bicycle, jumped a fence and went into a retention pond area, then ran into some woods.

Marion County Sheriff's Office Watch Commander Eric Rawls dispatched deputies, the K-9 team of Deputy Colton Sullivan and his dog Pyro, and the air unit to assist the DPD officers.

The air unit spotted Frye and stayed with him, relaying information about his movements to those on the ground, who located him in a heavily wooded area not far from the eatery.

Officials said Frye began swinging at Pyro, who bit the man on his lower left thigh. DPD Officer Aaron German handcuffed Frye.

Victims and witnesses identified Frye as the man who robbed the Dunkin' Donuts and was seen running away. He was arrested and was taken to the jail, where he was booked at 1:09 a.m. Wednesday.

Dunnellon police said they also are investigating another recent robbery nearby, in which the suspect, armed with a knife, escaped on a bicycle. On Saturday night, officers said, a man robbed the Little Caesar Pizza store at 11150 N. Williams St. After receiving some cash, he left the area on a BMX-style bicycle.

Police said Wednesday they are working to determine if the two robberies are connected.

"I did not go to any of those places. They got the wrong person," Frye said following his first appearance Wednesday in front of Judge John Futch via video link from the Marion County Jail. "I was in the woods because that's where I was staying. I'm always in the woods, and at different locations."

Frye said he was lying down when he heard someone tell him to "freeze." He alleges the K-9 dog was released on him "over and over."

"I was bitten on both legs," he said.

Department of Corrections records indicate Frye is on drug offender probation that was set to end July 25, 2015. The records also show he was arrested for resisting an officer with violence in April and was sentenced in July to three years' community supervision.

After Judge Futch set Frye's bond at $207,000, he told him he should not post the bond since he is on probation, which possibly will be revoked.

<p>DUNNELLON — A man accused of robbing a Dunkin' Donuts store Tuesday night was captured with the help of a Marion County Sheriff's Office K-9.</p><p>Zachary Daniel Frye, 24, was charged with armed robbery, resisting an officer without violence and retail petty theft. He remained at the Marion County Jail on Wednesday.</p><p>Dunnellon Police Department spokeswoman Darlene Parker said officers received a call about a man entering the Dunkin' Donuts at 11325 N. Williams St. carrying a knife. The man, later identified as Frye, yelled at a clerk and demanded cash from the register. After being given some money, he left the store and sped away on a bicycle.</p><p>Meanwhile, after someone had run out of the Dunkin' Donuts yelling that the store had been robbed, some people in the parking lot of the Sonic restaurant nearby began following the suspect, who was peddling away on a bicycle that had been parked by the donut shop.</p><p>The witnesses followed the man to the rear of the Dunnellon Plaza at 11223 N. Williams St., where he got off the bicycle, jumped a fence and went into a retention pond area, then ran into some woods.</p><p>Marion County Sheriff's Office Watch Commander Eric Rawls dispatched deputies, the K-9 team of Deputy Colton Sullivan and his dog Pyro, and the air unit to assist the DPD officers.</p><p>The air unit spotted Frye and stayed with him, relaying information about his movements to those on the ground, who located him in a heavily wooded area not far from the eatery.</p><p>Officials said Frye began swinging at Pyro, who bit the man on his lower left thigh. DPD Officer Aaron German handcuffed Frye.</p><p>Victims and witnesses identified Frye as the man who robbed the Dunkin' Donuts and was seen running away. He was arrested and was taken to the jail, where he was booked at 1:09 a.m. Wednesday.</p><p>Dunnellon police said they also are investigating another recent robbery nearby, in which the suspect, armed with a knife, escaped on a bicycle. On Saturday night, officers said, a man robbed the Little Caesar Pizza store at 11150 N. Williams St. After receiving some cash, he left the area on a BMX-style bicycle.</p><p>Police said Wednesday they are working to determine if the two robberies are connected.</p><p>"I did not go to any of those places. They got the wrong person," Frye said following his first appearance Wednesday in front of Judge John Futch via video link from the Marion County Jail. "I was in the woods because that's where I was staying. I'm always in the woods, and at different locations."</p><p>Frye said he was lying down when he heard someone tell him to "freeze." He alleges the K-9 dog was released on him "over and over."</p><p>"I was bitten on both legs," he said.</p><p>Department of Corrections records indicate Frye is on drug offender probation that was set to end July 25, 2015. The records also show he was arrested for resisting an officer with violence in April and was sentenced in July to three years' community supervision.</p><p>After Judge Futch set Frye's bond at $207,000, he told him he should not post the bond since he is on probation, which possibly will be revoked.</p><p><i>Contact Austin L. Miller at 867-4118 or austin.miller@starbanner.com.</i></p>